2. Vocabulary
Coastline : The land and water lying next to a shoreline. Hemisphere : One of the halves into which the earth may be divided. Physiographic : Another name for physical geography Plateau : A land area having a level surface raised much higher above nearby land. Plain : A large, flat area of land not higher than nearby areas.

3. Some General Facts About India :
Population: 1,173,108,018 (July 2010 estimate)
Capital: New Delhi
Major Cities: Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai
Area: 1,269,219 square miles (3,287,263 sq. km)
Bordering Countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, China, Nepal and Pakistan
Coastline: 4,350 miles (7,000 km)
Highest Point: Kanchenjunga at 28,208 feet (8,598 m)

4. Following are the Geographical Facts about India.
The Union of India is the seventh largest country in the world covering an area of 32,87,590 square kilometers and it is an important country of south Asia.
India is 4 times larger than Pakistan. It is 12 times larger than UK and 8 times larger than Japan.
The southernmost point in Indian Territory, (in Great Nicobar Islands) is the Indira Point, while Kanyakumari, also known as Cape Comorin, is the southernmost point of Indian mainland.
The country thus lies wholly in the northern and eastern hemispheres.
The country's land is flanked by the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, along the southeast and along the southwest respectively.

5. On the western border is situated Pakistan and in the east, Bangladesh and Burma.
Along her northern boundary are Bhutan, Nepal, Tibet and Sinkiang region of China.
The Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait separate India from Sri Lanka.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea are parts of the Indian Territory.

6. Physiographic regions :
India can be divided into six physiographic regions. They are :
The Great Northern Mountains : India comprises the Himalayas in the North and the Northeastern region, which divides the country from the Tibetan plateau. The Himalayan range is further divided into different ranges:
a) Pir Panjal Range
b) Ladakh Range
c) Zanskar Range
d) Dhauladhar Range
e) East Karakoram Range
Pir Panjal Range: This is the largest range of the lower Himalayas and runs from the east-southeast to west-northwest. The Pir Panjal pass lies to the west of Srinagar and comprises Banihal Pass, Sinthal Pass, Rohtang La, Munawar Pass and Haji Pir Pass.
Ladakh Range: This range extends from the northern side of Leh to the Tibetan border. It comprises Digar La Pass and Khardung La Pass.
Zanskar Range: This range is spread over an area that starts from southeastern boundaries of Kashmir and extends to the eastern limit of Baltistan. Singge La Pass, Runrang La Pass, Fotu (Fatu) La Pass, Marbal Pass and Zoji La Pass are some of the passes of this range.
Dhauladhar Range: This range rises from the plains of India to the north of Mandi and Kangra. Hanuman ji Ka Tiba or the 'White Mountain' is the highest peak of this range.
East Karakoram Range: This range separates India from the Central Asia and is also one of the laeger ranges of Asia. It is home to the second highest peak of the world, K2.

7. c) The Chota Nagpur Plateau
The Peninsular Plateaus : The Peninsular Plateau is a tableland, its characteristic features include shallow valleys and rounded hills. It is broadly divided in three different plateaus:
a) The Deccan Plateau
b) The Malwa Plateau
c) The Chota Nagpur Plateau
Indo Gangetic Plains : The Indo-Gangetic Plain is also known as the Great Plains and is dominated by three major rivers - the Ganges, the Indus and the Brahmaputra. It cover a large area of about 7,00,000 sq. km in the Northern and Eastern India. The plain is divided into four divisions:
a) The Bhabar Belt
b) The Terai Belt
c) The Bangar Belt
d) The Khader Belt
The Peninsular Plateau :
The Deccan Plateau: It is a triangular shaped plateau and is bounded by the Vindhyas and the Western and Eastern Ghats. It stretches to eight states of India and covers a total area of 1.9 million sq km.
The Malwa Plateau: The Malwa Plateau is spread across the parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Chambal River and its tributaries find their way in this plateau and Mahi River also flow through its Western region.
The Chota Nagpur Plateau: Situated in the eastern India, Chota Nagpur Plateau covers the parts of Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
Indo-Gangetic Plain :
The Bhabar Belt: It is a narrow belt that lies in the foothills of Himalayas and comprises pebbles and rocks brought down by the streams.
The Terai Belt: It is located in the south of the Bhabar region and is made up of newer alluvium.
The Bangar Belt: It includes older alluvium and has a low upland in the Gangetic plains which is covered by the laterite deposits.
The Khader Belt: It lies on the lower side of the Bhabar belt and is made up of newer alluvium which is brought down by the rivers which flow down to this plain.

8. Thar Desert : The Thar Desert is one of the largest deserts of the world. It extends across Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab and covers over 60% of the geographical area of Rajasthan.
The Islands : There are two major groups of islands in India which are also classified as the union territories- the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the Lakshadweep Islands. Lakshadweep is located in the Arabian Sea and has a total of about 35 islands and islets. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is larger in size and comprises 572 islands. Andaman is located in the north and Nicobar is located in the south. Some of the other important islands in India are Daman and Diu, Majuli, Salsette Island and Sriharikota.

9. The Coastal Plains : The Coastal India spans Arabian Sea in the West to the Bay of Bengal in the East. The Eastern Coastal Plains lie between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal; and stretches from Tamil Nadu to West Bengal. The Western Coastal Plains is sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea and extends from Gujarat in the north and covers the regions of Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala and Karnataka.

10. Major Mountain Ranges In India :
1. The Himalayan Range
2. Patkai Range
3. Karakoram Range
4. Shivalik Hills
5. Vindhya Range
6. Aravalli Range
7. Satpura Range and 8. Western and Eastern Ghats
The Himalayan Range: This is the world's highest mountain range and the tallest peak of the world, Mt. Everest, is also a part of it. It acts as a barrier against the frigid katabatic winds which flow down from Central Asia and protects India from its effects.
Patkai Range: Patkai or Purvanchal lies on the east of India-Burma border. It comprises three hill ranges- Garo-Khasi-Jaintia in Meghalaya, Lushai hills and Patkai-Bum.
Karakoram Range: It lies in the disputed areas of Jammu and Kashmir and comprises more than 60 peaks. K2, the second highest peak of the world, is also a part of this range. Besides, the Hindu Kush range, Siachen and Biafo Glacier also a part of this range.
Shivalik Hills: The literal meaning of Shivalik is 'tresses of India'. It extends from Arunachal Pradesh to West Bengal and from Uttarakhand to Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Jammu, Kangra and Vaishno Devi are a part of this range.
Vindhya Range: This range spreads across central India and extends across 1,050 km. It is believed to be formed from the Aravalli Mountains. Due to its geographical location in central India, it separates Northern and Southern India.
Aravalli Range: This is India's oldest mountain range and spreads across the parts of Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana. Guru Shikhar in Mount Abu is the highest peak of this range, which rise to 1,722 m.
Satpura Range: This range stretches from Gujarat and runs to Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Western and Eastern Ghats: Western Ghats are also known as Sahyadri Mountains and runs parallel to Indian peninsula's western coast. Eastern Ghats or Purva Ghat is a discontinuous range of mountains which runs along the eastern coast of India.

11. Climate :
India has a variety of climates, varying from tropical climate in the south to temperate and alpine climate in the Himalayan north. The climate is altered by the Thar Desert and the Himalayas. Some areas in the north have severe summers with extreme winters, with the temperature reaching to freezing point. The country encounters four different types of seasons - winter, summer, monsoon, and post-monsoon. In some states, the temperature in summers rise up to 45°C and minimum temperature decreases to 15°C only. In winters, the average temperature is about 10-15°C. The highest
temperature recorded in India so far is 50.6°C in Alwar,
Rajasthan. The lowest temperature was recorded in
Kashmir at -45°C.

12. States :
There are 29 states in India. The largest of all Indian states is Rajasthan. Goa is the smallest state in India.
Uttar Pradesh lying to the northeast of the country is the most populous state.
Gujarat, lying on the extreme west of the country, is one of the most prosperous of all Indian states.
The strikingly beautiful Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state in the country.
India's eastern border is bordered by states of Manipur, Meghalaya, Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh.

13. Union Territories :
The union territories in India are seven in numbers.
Delhi, the capital of India, also falls under this category.
The other union territories of the country include Chandigarh, in the north; Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, in the west; Lakshadweep, in the southwest; and Pondicherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in the southeast of the country.

14. General Conversation :
What images spring to mind when you hear the country India?
What are the good things about India?
What is India famous for?
What do you know about Indian history?
What do you think of Indian products and companies?
Would you like to visit India, or live there?
Who are the most famous Indian people you know?

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Anisha
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